A centrifuge instrument is a device by which contained materials of different specific quantities are subjected to centrifugal forces in order to separate colloidal particles suspended in a liquid. A typical centrifuge set-up may include a centrifuge tube which holds a sample for separation. A plurality of centrifuge tubes may be located and retained on a rotor of the centrifuge. The rotor of the centrifuge is commonly configured to be contained in a compartment and spun about a central axis in order to achieve separation of the sample. A rotatable drive shaft may be connected to the centrifuge rotor in order to facilitate spinning of the rotor assembly. The rotatable drive shaft may be further connected to a source of motive energy in order to receive power.
Centrifuges are currently employed in many industrial and research situations, such as, for example, laboratories. Laboratory centrifuges are generally operated by manual controls using various settings and procedures. The calibration of the centrifuge is important in order to achieve proper separation of particles within test samples during testing under controlled operating conditions. An operator may want to pre-set various aspects of the testing condition or indicated specific components coupled to the system of the centrifuge. This information could be further conveyed to a processor located within the centrifuge and be utilized for preparing the centrifuge to operate under a prescribed testing condition.
An example of relayed information that can set up a condition of the centrifuge may include a rotor control used to set the specific size or type of rotor used within the centrifuge. This would allow the centrifuge to operate a given rotor assembly at preferred power levels. Different rotors are capable of operating at different speeds and are further capable of generating different centripetal forces. Such control would be preferable in order to operate a given rotor at peak efficiency and prescribed rotational forces and/or speeds.
An operator may also want to apply the centripetal force generated by the rotor over a regulated time period. This, of course, would depend on the goals for testing a product and the test sample itself. Additional controls may also include conventional power switches provided on the centrifuge device to manually turn the unit on or off as needed. Thus, it is clear that the ability to control functions of the centrifuge can be advantageous to a user and the samples being tested. Having a greater flexibility to control the testing environment would yield a greater variety of functions in the testing capabilities provided by the centrifuge.
While technological advances have made it easier to calibrate and control operations of the centrifuge, there remain some areas of calibration which could be refined in order to improve not only the overall operational control of the centrifuge but also improve the safety aspects of the device during use. For instance, it is widely known that the inherent design of the rotor generates very large centripetal forces during operation. Ideally, the compartment in which the rotor is contained should be designed to retain any loose components if, for instance, a test sample were to become dislodged from the rotor or if the rotor were to become separated from the rotatable drive shaft in operation. However, in rare instances, it may be possible, if the rotational energy is high enough, for the pieces of the failed centrifuge rotor to breach the compartment or cause excessive movement of the centrifuge. Thus, as another precaution, it would be advantageous to realize any containment limits of a centrifuge and purpose to not exceed this limit valve. Another precaution would be to check that the energy of the centrifuge rotor is within a predetermined range for the rotor.